FILMFACTS
TRIVIA
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The thing that won't die, in the nightmare that won't end.
"I'll be BACK!"
Totally Trivia
Film facts for the 1984 Action / Adventure movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen, Bess Motta, Rick Rossovich, Dick Miller, Shawn Schepps, Bruce M. Kerner, Franco Columbu, Brad Rearden, Brian Thompson, William Wisher Jr., David Kristin Update Cast
We believe the following trivia is all legit. If it's bogus or you have additional info, please update us.
Rewind Archive
It's a well known part of 'The Legend' that Arnie was originally approached to play the part of Kyle Reese (The good guy) while O.J. Simpson was to play The Terminator. Fewer people know that in the very beginning Cameron's friend Lance Henriksen was pencilled in for the lead, only to be sadly 'relegated' to the role of police detective "Vukovich". We can only imagine the different kind of darkness that Henriksen ("Aliens", "Near Dark") would have brought to the role.Thanks to Axel H.
Cameron's vision of the cyborg was initially "someone who can blend in a crowd", which explains the fact that Lance Henriksen and OJ Simpson auditioned (How they got from there to Arnie eludes me). Some time after, Bill Wisher, the director of photography, said that "It's hard for a 6'2", ripped Austrian bulldozer of a man to blend in a crowd, but, y'know, it's Los Angeles".Rewind Archive
Cameron said at the time of the movies release that he had not used O.J. Simpson because "People would not have believed a nice guy like O.J. playing the part of a ruthless killer"...Rewind Archive
To help a desperate Cameron get funding for his project, Henriksen reportedly 'bust in' to a Hemdale studio executive's office in full Terminator garb, complete with gold foil covering his teeth!Thanks to Ray Daley
Micheal Biehn gets bitten on the hand in this movie. In fact he gets bitten in every James Cameron Movie he's ever appeared in!Rewind Archive
His agent told him the idea wouldn't work. Any other director might have listened. Cameron fired his agent!Thanks to Hbo3
The Toy truck that was run over by Arnold was a replica of an International Semi made by toy company Ertl. I owned one of these as a kid and they were large for a kid's toy. The reason I'm mentioning this is because the same International semi/rig the toy truck replicated was used near the end of the film hauling the tanker that exploded after Reese had put one of his home made pipebombs on the trailer.Rewind Archive
Despite many interviews to the contrary, Arnold may not always have had so much faith in Cameron and his picture. He allegedly told a bodybuilding friend who enquired about Arnold's latest role that it was "just some sh*t movie I'm doing." Another story states that on his first offer Arnie rejected the role claiming "a movie with stupid dirty robots will never work".Thanks to Bill
Actually, I just watched this and I have a correction regarding the trivia below about the order of the murders. The Sarah Connors, Louise and Ann, ARE killed in phonebook order. I originally thought this was an error also, but it's just that in the newscast shown in the bar, the second, more recent, murder of Ann is announced before the anchor says, "earlier today, Sarah Louise Connor...." The listings in the phone book are Sarah Connor, Sarah Ann Connor, and Sarah J Connor, so the order is correct.Thanks to Gill
Arnold's best bud and body building pal, Franco Columbo, is the Terminator in Reese's dream/memory that gets into the resistance's hideout and starts gunning people down.Thanks to Robert Baum
Originally Cameron's idea for the cyborg was an infiltrator which could change its form to hide in its surroundings. The budget would not allow for Cameron to create the stealthy killing machine he had envisioned. Yet the one time in the film where we see evidence of this is when the cyborg morphs into the cop whose wheels the terminator had commandeered.Thanks to Robert Baum
The cop who Schwarzenegger takes the car from was portrayed by William Wisher. Wisher, a friend of Cameron's was credited with "additional dialogue" for the film and later co-wrote the sequel with Cameron.Thanks to Robert Baum
Cameron had sold the rights to the film to producer Gale Ann Hurd for $1. It was to guarantee that he would be able to direct the film if financing ever became a reality. Hurd and Cameron, both alumni of Roger Corman's New World, would work together on "Aliens" (1986), "The Abyss" (1989), and "Terminator 2."Thanks to Nick Springsteen
Legendary actor Dick Miller appears briefly as the man in the gun shop selling to Arnie, off gauge auto loader! When Arnie asks for a "phase plasma rifle in the 40 watt range", Miller responds, "hey, just what you see pal!"Thanks to Anonymous
Some other items of irony in the movie:1) The Terminator was ultimately terminated by a machine
2) Interestingly, John Conner only existed because the machines sent the Terminator back in time to kill his mother. If the Terminator did not go back in time, Kyle would not have followed, and, therefore, could not have met Sarah Conner and become John's father.
Thanks to Martin Villafuerte
Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually the third choice for his seminal title role of the Terminator. The role was originally offered to Nick Nolte, then to OJ Simpson. However, James Cameron feared that Simpson was too nice for playing a serial killer. The part eventually went to Schwarzenegger.Rewind Archive
One afternoon, during a break from filming, Arnold was to scare the patrons of a downtown cafe half to death by appearing in full Terminator costume and makeup --complete with metal endoskeleton appearing beneath his torn flesh...Rewind Archive
While the Alamo Gunshop's street address number is 14329, the first "Sarah Connor" victim's street number is 14239.Rewind Archive
The victims aren't actually murdered in "order of the phonebook." Look closely and you'll see that while Sarah Ann Connor was murdered first (the newscast in the pizza parlor announces her first), Sarah (Louise) Connor was actually listed first. (By the way, glancing at the phone book listing shows that neither one lived at 14239.)BUT, Ashely DeCorsey kindly wroite in to add that, actually, they were; the newscaster clearly states: "Two hours ago, 35 year-old Sarah Ann Connor was pronounced dead at the scene in her Santa Monica apartment; Sarah Lousie Connor was slain by a lone gunman earlier today, in her home."
But the phone book address listing goof still stands?
Rewind Archive
Rather than stating, "To protect and serve," the police cars state the department's motto as "to care and to protect."Rewind Archive
The answerphone message is, "Hi there. Ha ha. Fooled you! You're talking to a machine, but don't feel bad...machines need love too!" Pretty ironic that "machines" take over the world.Thanks to Graham Duvall
Did anyone else notice the foreshadowing (and again the irony) of Arnie running over the toy semi?Thanks to Charles
Sarah Connor's roomate who has the misfortune of being "terminated" in her stead is Bess Motta, who was a regular on the popular 80's exercise show "20 Minute Workout".Rewind Archive
Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn and Lance Henrikson all go on to appear together in another James Cameron movie, 'Aliens'. Bill Paxton and Lance Henrikson followed this by appearing together as Vampires in 'Near Dark'.Rewind Archive
Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn both appeared in Cameron's 'Aliens'. Michael Beihn also appeared in James Cameron's 'The Abyss'. Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn also appear together in 'Navy Seals'.Thanks to Ray Daley
The Shotgun Kyle Reese uses is also the exact same shotgun used by Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in 'Aliens', played by Michael Biehn.Bogus Trivia
There's often fake stuff floating round, y'know? -Like the 'ghost boy' that can allegedly be seen in "Three Men And A Baby".
But, nothing bogus that we know yet for "The Terminator".
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